Coronavirus (Covid-19) Updates

Numerous events in Japan throughout March, April and June 2020 have been cancelled, postponed, or scaled back. You can view our full list of event cancellations in Japan for those we have published on our site.

Cancellations hit May's sumo tournament in Osaka (held behind closed doors), the baseball pre-season and J-League football calendar — which is expected to restart July 4th.

The highly anticipated Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games is also postponed to 2021 (confirmed by the IOC on March 24th). The event will keep the name 'Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020'.

How to stay safe in Japan

What were the implications of the April 2020 State of Emergency?

Summary: The April 2020 State of Emergency in Japan was lifted nationwide on May 25th.

• Prime Minister Shinzo Abe originally announced state of emergency proceedings in Tokyo and beyond on April 8th—becoming nationwide and soon extended until the end of May.
• With infection rates suppressed and under control, it was lifted earlier than planned on May 25th, allowing many businesses to re-open. 
• Many companies and businesses since operate under 'new normal' measures, with social distancing and hygiene precautions being taken at most public areas.
• Sightseeing spots face a gradual reopening — we are doing our best to keep our closure information up-to-date, but always check in advance of any planned outing with the official website for any attraction.

What precautions work best against coronavirus?

The World Health Organization's advice is as follows:

• Wash your hands regularly – with soap and warm water, or alcohol-based hand sanitizers (at least 60% alcohol)
• Maintain social distancing – avoid those who are coughing or sneezing (at least 1m). Some countries are implementing lockdowns and recommending keeping 2m from strangers.
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth – potential points of entry for coronavirus particles
• Practice respiratory hygiene – covering your mouth when you cough, and disposing of tissues promptly followed by washing hands.
• Wear a mask – As of June 5th 2020, WHO adapted its advice to recommend wearing a face covering to help prevent the spread of infection. See their dedicated guidance here on face masks.

Should I wear a mask?

Summary: The WHO now officially recommends wearing face masks as of June 5th 2020.

There has been a lot of media coverage surrounding the use of masks, ranging from their effectiveness, differing attitudes in the West and the stigma of wearing them, and even instances of panic buying and price gouging.

If you are travelling in Japan and can find them, we recommend wearing a face mask as a general precaution. Whilst the common surgical mask is not thought to be effective against blocking microscopic coronavirus particles (aerosols), they can help with both respiratory hygiene (protecting others) and keeping you from needlessly touching your face (protecting yourself until you can wash your hands).

Do I need travel insurance?

Whether you are already in Japan, preparing for a trip, or are planning ahead, we recommend taking out comprehensive travel insurance. This is both to insure against the prospect of unforeseen medical expenses if the need arise, but also against changing travel plans as the situation develops.

Note that it is essential to check your home country travel advice if you plan to travel to Japan. This is to ensure there is no impact on your insurance coverage.

What should I do if concerned by coronavirus in Japan?

Contact JNTO's Visitor Hotline. Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) operate a 24/7 visitor hotline service, available in English, Chinese, Korean and Japanese. It can be called for assistance in case of accidents or emergencies relating to the coronavirus:

• From Japan 050-3816-2787
• From Overseas +81-50-3816-2787

What should I do if I feel sick?

Japan's official guidance has been to encourage people to self-isolate if they suspect they have related symptoms: 

• 37.5°C (99.5°F) or higher fever lasting for 4 or more days,
• Cold symptoms
• Severe lethargy
• Breathing difficulties.

Japan is expanding its daily testing capabilities to help make it easier to access relevant medical treatment where needed.

Those in at-risk groups can expected to be referred for treatment and/or testing in a quicker timeframe.

This step-by-step consultation flow released by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is an easy-to-follow guide on what to do if you think you may be affected by coronavirus-related symptoms. You can also consult:

• List of Covid-19 Consultation Centers (Japanese),
• List of medical institutions with foreign-language services (English),
• The JNTO Hotline: 050-3816-2787 (more info above) 

You can also consult these multilingual hotlines around Japan's prefectures:

• Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Medical Information Center Himawari 03-5285-8181 English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish and Thai.
• Saitama Prefecture 048-833-3296 English, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Nepalese.
• Osaka Prefecture 06-6941-2297 English, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Indonesian and Nepalese.
• Kyoto Prefecture 075-343-9666 English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Portuguese and Spanish.
• Hyogo Prefecture 078-382-2052 English, Chinese, Spanish and Portuguese.
• Gunma Prefecture 027-289-8275 English, Vietnamese, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish.
• Yamaguchi Prefecture 092-687-6639 English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, Portuguese, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Malay, Burmese and Khmer.
• Hiroshima Prefecture 0120-783-806 English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog, Portuguese, Indonesian, Thai, Spanish and Nepalese.
• Shiga Prefecture 077-523-5646 English, Chinese, Portuguese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Nepalese, Korean, Spanish, Russian and Hindi.
• Wakayama Prefecture 073-435-5240 English, Chinese and Tagalog.
• Mie Prefecture 080-3300-8077 English, Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Indonesian and Thai.
• Gifu Prefecture 058-263-8066 English, Chinese, Portuguese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Nepalese, Korean, Spanish, Khmer, Myanmar, Malay and Mongolian.
• Kumamoto Prefecture 080-4275-4489 English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Nepalese, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Portuguese, Spanish, Malay, French, Russian, German, Italian, Burmese, Khmer and Mongolian.
• Fukuoka Prefecture 092-286-9595 English, Chinese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Nepali, Tagalog, Indonesian, Portuguese, German, Russian, French, Spanish, Italian, Malay, Burmese and Khmer.
• Okinawa Prefecture 0570-050-235 English, Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese and Thai.
• Hokkaido Prefecture 011-200-9595 English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Thai, Russian, Nepalese, Indonesian and Burmese.

What is the current situation in Japan?

Compare Japan's situation with countries around the world via WHO's daily sitreps, or view our real-time tracker.

Is it safe to travel to Japan?

Can I enter Japan?

Summary: As of July 21st, 146 countries and territories are subject to an entry ban for visitors who have passed through them within the last 14 days.

Please see JNTO's official site for the full list.

Those who are permitted entry to Japan will be subject to undergo PCR tests and to quarantine for 14 days at a location designated by the quarantine station chief for the time being (as of June 3rd). Public transportation should not be used during this time.

Official Japan travel advisories

Please consult these official advisories from countries overseas to gauge the current advice on travelling overseas at this time.

Note: as the coronavirus has spread across the world, many countries are launching their own containment measures (including temporarily closing borders in some cases), thus advising their citizens to defer their immediate travel plans. Please always check your local authority's latest guidance before planning or attempting to travel.

Official resources

	WHO (World Health Organization) Coronavirus information
	JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization) Official coronavirus updates @JapanSafeTravel
	Tokyo Metropolitan Govt If you feel concerned by Covid-19 (step-by-step consultation)
	MHLW (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) Official updates

Covid-19 Tracker